1. Technical Field
This invention is concerned with materials for nonlinear optical devices for conversion of optical energy at one frequency to optical energy at another frequency.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Laser techniques have been developed that make it convenient to obtain various fundamental frequencies of coherent laser light by utilizing solid, gas, and liquid media. Outstanding among these are solid-state lasers, because they are small, inexpensive, and require no maintenance; their output is limited to the near-infrared region of the spectrum and is of low power. However, in many applications, laser light having frequencies not among those conveniently obtainable is required. Nonlinear optical crystals have, therefore, frequently been employed to convert coherent laser light of a fundamental frequency into coherent light of its second harmonic, that is to say, coherent light with a frequency twice the fundamental frequency. This conversion is termed "second harmonic generation" (SHG).
Use of organic molecules in nonlinear optical devices has generated much interest recently because many molecules are available for investigation. Some substituted aromatic molecules are known to exhibit large optical nonlinearities. The possibility of such an aromatic molecule having large optical nonlinearities is enhanced if the molecule has electron donor and acceptor groups bonded at opposite ends of the conjugated electronic system of the molecule. Potential utility for very high frequency application of organic materials having large second-order and third-order nonlinearities is greater than that for conventional inorganic electro-optic materials because of the bandwidth limitations of inorganic materials. Furthermore, properties of organic materials can be varied to optimize mechanical and thermo-oxidative stability and laser damage threshold.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,698 discloses that the nonlinear optical properties of one crystal form of 2-methyl-4-nitroaniline (MNA) make it a highly useful material in nonlinear devices that convert coherent optical radiation including a first frequency into coherent optical radiation including a second, typically doubled, frequency. Nonlinear devices have means for introducing coherent radiation of a first frequency into the MNA and means for utilizing coherent radiation emitted from the MNA at a second frequency. U.S. Pat. No. 4,431,263 discloses that diacetylenes and polymers formed from diacetylenic species, which are amenable to close geometric, steric, structural, and electronic control, provide nonlinear optic, waveguide, piezoelectric, and pyroelectric materials and devices. Diacetylenes which are crystallizable into crystals having a non-centrosymmetric unit cell may form single crystals or, if they do not, may possibly be elaborated into a polar thin film upon a substrate by the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. Such films often may be polymerized either thermally or by irradiation for use in nonlinear optical systems. Diacetylenes are covalently bonded to substrates through employment of silane species and subsequently polymerized to yield nonlinear optic devices asserted to have high structural integrity in addition to high efficiencies and optical effects.
Other U.S. Pat. Nos. relating to non-linear optical properties of organic materials include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,807,968; 4,808,332; 4,810,338; 4,818,616; 4,818,802; 4,818,898; 4,818,899; 4,824,219; 4,826,950; 4,822,865; 4,828,758; 4,835,235; 4,839,536; 4,851,270; 4,855,078; 4,855,376; 4,861,129; 4,865,430; 4,867,538; 4,867,540; and 4,868,250.